4 more bodies recovered from chopper crash site

The helicopter, carrying 20 people, had crashed during rescue mission yesterday

Four more bodies were recovered by IAF commandos near Gaurikund in Uttarakhand where an IAF Mi-17 helicopter carrying 20 people had crashed during a rescue mission and all onboard are feared killed.

During night-long search operations, Garud commandos recovered four more bodies, IAF sources said, adding that till this morning 12 bodies have been found from the site of yesterday's crash of the large Air Force chopper.

The dead include five IAF officials while the identity of others is being ascertained, they said.

There were 20 people onboard the ill-fated chopper - five from IAF, six from ITBP and rest from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) sources said.

The Mi-17 V5 chopper was on a rescue mission from Gauchar to Guptkashi and Kedarnath and crashed yesterday afternoon while returning from Kedarnath north of Gaurikund, according to an IAF spokesperson.

IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne rushed to Uttarakhand today to boost the morale of pilots operating in difficult weather conditions.

The crash occurred in "difficult" weather conditions created by rains and fog, a senior IAF official said here. The chopper belonged to a unit from Barrackpore Air Force Station in West Bengal under the Eastern Air Command.

A Court of Inquiry has been order to investigate the crash, the IAF spokesperson said.

IAF said its operations in the area will continue.

IAF had started inducting Mi-17 V5 choppers only last year after 80 of them were ordered from Russia.

This is the second incident of a helicopter crash this week in the hill state. A private chopper had crashed in Gaurikund area on Sunday leaving the pilot injured.

Browne expressed profound sorrow over the loss of "warriors" from the IAF, NDRF and ITBP in the chopper crash and said, "Our rotors will not stop churning. That means, we will continue with the job till get the people out."

The Air Force chief, who interacted with IAF officers and men here, said, "We will sustain the mission and continue to keep the morale (of our personnel) high.

"...The operations are going to continue. In fact, most of the work has already been done. It is now a question of getting the people out from Badrinath and the Harsil sector," he added.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has expressed shock over the loss of lives in the helicopter crash.

"This accident during relief operations has come as a huge shock to me. My heart goes out to the families of those who have lost their lives. The nation mourns with me the loss of our heroes whose selfless work has saved thousands of lives," Singh said yesterday.

"Our forces are conducting a heroic task in rescue and relief work in Uttarakhand...Continuing their work would be the best homage to them," he added.

The five IAF personnel killed were a Wing Commander, two Flight Lieutenants, a Junior Warrant Officer and a Sergeant.